Apples! Apples!

My niece, Madi, is teething, and she loves gnawing on apple slices... I love apples too, so that's what has inspired this new logic riddle for anyone wanting a little brain exercise as the new year approaches (special request by the Bodines this month)...

• If there are 5 apples on the counter and you take away 2, how many do you have?

Done already? Can't relate with apples? Here's another one...

• At a sports banquet there are one hundred athletes. Each one is either a football or basketball player. At least one is a football player. Given any two of the athletes, at least one is a basketball player. How many of the athletes are football players?

Pre-Christmas Travels 2008

I took the day off from teaching, a first for the year,

to fly across the country before Christmas.

11 o’clock came around, time for departure was nearing,

then a text came, “flight canceled,” it was.

Spending the morning with the boys at the Huish’s

when this daunting text came my way.

With that, Mom booked a new flight with an alternate airline,

and Tisha became my ride to save the day.

At the airport the wait would increase by the minute.

How does that work when time is what flys?

Storms in Chicago raged; flights delayed by the dozen,

the first flight canceled… now I see why!

Delay, then some more, Kristen worked on the phone

looking for options to get her sis moving.

Matt, at the Southwest desk, advised the few Seattle-bound,

“Airport sleeping tonight, for you!” he was proving.

“Aha, I’ve found one!” my travel agent sister declared

“Alaska will fly you direct the next day.”

So the flight was booked and westward bound I would go.

Now, getting home to my bed, is there a way?

Holiday time- friends split town so very few were around

to give me a lift from the airport to bed.

Call after call, a dozen with no success I would soon realize,

until Simone picked up, and “I’ll come,” she said!

Home with no luggage, what a curious situation this created,

so to Target, I soon departed from home base.

Phone charger in hand and a bag of jerky for the next day,

walked into Julie and then Michael- familiar face!

Running to the car and driving home, I reflected on the day

“why all this? what’s the point?...I’m so tired.”

Thoughts came, gratitude, for so many evidences of God’s hand

All of this was not accident but most inspired.

Recall the truth from day to day that experience is His plan…

Experience today proved that alone I will never be.

Clearly surrounded I am by many friends and family true,

whether on the east coast or west, from sea to sea.

Gingerbread house Sweetness at the Johnson's

It's always a "sweet treat" to hang out with the Johnsons... However, on Saturday night, it was especially sweet as Cali had the kids decorating a gingerbread house. From Cannon's colorfully sweet porch to Bailey's carefully placed gumdrops, Macey's dotted windows and dripping snow, and Buster's sparse yet carefully placed dots, each contributed to what they decided would be a pretty sweet house to live in... Did I say it was sweet? Well, it was. :) And so were the kids... The frosting, as Buster discovered, even tasted great on pretzels! (oops... don't tell Jase and Cali!)
One of the highlights of seeing the Johnson's is having Buster run to the door for an enthusiastic greeting! More sweetness to come in 2009!

We'll have to work on the silly-face picture :)

Latest Adventures...

Having had an introduction to the city with Shelley a few weeks ago, this adventure was must less daunting...

Randilyn and I went to Manhattan to see the lights and become better acquainted with the big city! My friend, John, was really nice to give us a walking tour of lower Manhattan and the financial district...

-New York Stock Exchange (the lights on the pillars were even lit at 8am!) on Wall St.
-Ground Zero (under construction)
-Battery Park (looks out toward Ellis Is. and Statue of Liberty)
-Brooklyn Bridge (we opted not to walk it due to low temps, wind, and lack-o-warm-armor)
-The Bull (I hope this is representative of our economy soon!)

After warming up inside for a bit, Randilyn and I took off to ride the free Staten Ferry past the statute of Liberty to Staten Island. In the ferry terminal, we enjoyed the benches as a place of rest. Had we put out a mug, we may have made some money while we took a nice 45 minute nap among strangers. So... we were tired.
With brighter eyes, we journeyed back and went to China town and Little Italy. If I were a local, that's where I'd consider going for fresh produce. Parts of it reminded me a bit of Guam with all the dried fish and other food items in open-air containers sitting in the middle of a small crowded market. When I improve my Chinese, I know where to go... China (not China town- haha).

Next stop... uptown to Central Park. There we met a couple friends and went out for pizza.. New York pizza. It was tastey, which you can appreciate coming from one who does not care much for pizza... this was good. Fresh thin crust with a thin layer of fresh mozzerella, sundried tomatoes, topped with slices of prosciutto and fresh basil leaves. (my only caution is waitresses... don't take offense if some don't treat you equal to their other customers... nothing personal)

After lunch.... Central Park. I love the pedalling taxi tours (bikes with little buggies attached to take people around the city, or in this case, around Central pk.). We walked a few miles as the sun was going down and ended up by the Great Lawn and hopped on a nearby subway to go back downtown... another quick break from the cold was needed.

Back up to Time Square for our evening's last hoorah...
-Rockefeller Christmas tree all lit up
-5th avenue windows (includin Sak's which was, in my opinion, only second to Bergdorf Goodman's window displays)
-Time Square (warmed up [kind of] and had some food at the ESPN sport's bar while watching Sam Bradford, OK, receive the Heisman 2008 award)

To Port Authority where we caught the last bus up to NJ where we'd stay the night at cousin Rich's house.... 20 hours of adventure wore us out, and we were soooo happy to be welcomed by the Skeen's home with comfy beds!

Rise and shine... enjoyed better sleep than any train, subway, bench, or bus afforded all day! Rich and Jess, Jonah, Mirit, and Asher were so much fun to visit with in the morning! The kids are so cute, and they're home is beautiful in a neighborhood of great history. Rich gave us a neighborhood tour... I've seen some beautiful and unique homes, but none quite like these. I love it!

Rich and Mirit escorted us into the city where we toured a piece of their old stomping ground on 14th Street and then went to church at a local ward on 14th street on the 4th floor. NYC is a unique place in the way they manage to convert the space within buildings that have been around for decades so as to make them useful in modern society.

Soon it was time to depart from the island and catch the bus back to DC. Home sweet home.

Socks Solution...

Drum roll... FOUR socks! Although there are many socks in the drawer, there are only three colors, so if you pull out 4 socks you are bound to have at least one matching pair.

Application? If you limit the types of socks that you have in your drawer to only 3 (same brand, style and color), then you don't have to go through the woes of sock-matching any longer... UNTIL you mysteriously start losing single socks... that will throw off the statistic, unfortunately.

Great job Brittney (and Truston)!!!

Happy Birthday BRIAN ELLIOTT SKEEN!

Happy 20th Birthday to my handsome "little" brother!

Socks...

Ever wondered why you mysteriously end up with mismatched socks? In a perfect world, no socks would remain solo.

That said, here's some sock matching for thought...


Figure this one out... it's good for you- I PROMISE!

Don't Cry for Me, Madi Miller

Do you ever wake up with random songs in your head? Do you ever find yourself humming songs on your way to the car that you have not heard nor considered in years?

"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" has been one of my recent favorites, apparently. What does this mean? Maybe there is a nation that is missing me... or maybe it's my niece, Madison! The truth is, I never left her... I've kept my promise.



And it's about time... for bed.

Celebrating Elder Wirthlin

"Our Heavenly Father is a powerful, moving, directing being," are words of Joseph B. Wirthlin that frequently come to mind and have been a theme in my life for the past few years.

He passed away last night, Dec. 1, late in the evening, according to the LDS Newsroom report.

I am grateful for the wisdom and love that Elder Wirthlin taught and led by. It was through his words and counsel that I received many answers the prayers in the process of making some important decisions in my educational, career, and personal life since I returned from my mission.

While he will be missed, I am sure there is a need for him on the other side of the veil. I look forward to sustaining the man who is called to fill his position in the Council of the Twelve Apostles.

Rational Numbers for Pancakes

So this was the deal... Students performed well on operations and equivalencies using fractions, decimals and percents, and they earned a certificate to become a "Pastry Chef" in our exclusive math kitchen (aka. my classroom). After much deliberation in many of the students' cases, they succeeded and enjoyed using the recipe from the exam to make pumpkin pancakes. With their approval, I'll share a few pics of their experience.

Ice Skating

Trader Joe's. Rugged? Heartless?

It's Friday afternoon, it's been quite a week at work, and it's time for TRADER JOE's!
As I finish picking up the few things that I went to the store for: apples, apricots, pecans, and bread, I make my way over to the jerky section... It's one of my favorite foods when I'm feeling a need for increased protein and iron.

Beef Jerky, Turkey Jerky, and BUFFALO JERKY were my options.Thoughts of "I don't think I've ever had Buffalo Jerky..." run through my mind. Buffalo it is!

As I bite into the jerky, images of lone buffalo and buffalo herds run through my mind... Ahhhh! My question for any readers is... Why is it that I can enjoy chicken, beef, turkey, and all other meats without any second thoughts, but the moment that I try to simply enjoy a piece of bison, I begin to have Buffalo dance through my head?

My trip to Trader Joe's today was quite wonderful. However, I feel a little more rugged, heartless, or something of the nature as a result. Trader Joe's. Rugged. Heartless... I'm not quite sure?

Fair? Great!

I've decided the LIFE IS NOT FAIR! Why? Day-after-day, tender mercies come by the dozen, even in sets like 9 tennis balls! My friend, Randylin and I enjoy running together periodically, and recently we found ourselves on a picturesque tennis court at the conclusion of a great long run into DC and back...

Picturesque? The photos don't give the vibrant blue court in contrast with the golden fall leaves and neon green tennis balls justice.
LIFE IS MORE THAN FAIR... It's MORE THAN FAIR... It's GOOD.

I count my blessings many as I continue to see how carefully our Father in Heaven places people in my life who remind me that He will never leave us alone.

There are more posts to come that will show additional evidence of this truth. I am convinced that when we make a choice, acting on faith and not sight nor fear, Father in Heaven will sustain us, and we will then have the choice to open our eyes and see the tender mercies that will come frequently in our days of experience.

Is there only one right answer? Who can relate?

26.2 Reasons...

What a day! I woke up this morning to this sunrise out my bedroom window!

On the way to work, I developed a strategy in my mind of how I would best celebrate my 26th birthday during all hours of the day... Throughout the day I will work on this list, and at the completion of the day, it will be finalized.

Why? Because, honestly, celebrating a day that define the aging of an individual can become a less-than-desirable annual tradition. Nonetheless, there is SO MUCH to celebrate, so here it goes... 26.2 (you'll understand as you read or if you already know one of my quirks) reasons it's great to be 26! (xie xie hr)

Warning: My students are reviewing fractions, decimals, exponents,
and more, so I've provided a brush-up for all readers as well...

10/10= Beautiful skies, night and day
26/13= Legs, knees, feet, toes and more that are built to run, bike, swim and more
12/4= Students who take risks and ask questions
28/7= Music that inspires progress, peace, and adventure
25/5= Roommates
36/6= Friends of past and present who continue to inspire and encourage
49/7= Siblings: in-laws included, and Madi (my favorite out-of-womb niece!)
2^4= Parents: after all these years, they are north stars
3^3= Grandparents: living and passed-on
10^1= Heritage: Skeen, Behrens, Aea, Chang, Williams, Baird, Pincock, West...
121/11= Scriptures- reminds me of the most important of all the "important" pieces of life
144^(1/2)= Temples- Once again,I have managed to find myself living in a place so close to a temple!
-26/-2= Transportation: reliable brakes, strong engine and protection from the elements during dark mornings and cold nights
14.0= Technology: cell phones, emails...
45/3= Fruit: I understand Eve's choice of giving into the forbidden fruit (hehe- yes, there's more to it than that)
4^2= Running Water
17.0= Electricity: What would I do without light in the morning or power to recharge my computer!?
9^(1/2) * 6= Education: the more I learn the more I realize I still need to learn
19.0= Work: one of the best decisions I've made in the past year
800^(1/3)= Health: can't take this for granted
5^2 - 2^2= Shoes: Chacos, slippers, slip-ons, runners, and more make for happy feet
-242/-11= Collaboration: team work is so empowering
12167^(1/3)= Seasons: summers even in the middle of winter
300/12.5= Honesty: makes the world a better place
25.0= Jesus Christ: infinite atonement that gives meaning and purpose to me and all that I value
676^(1/2)= Prophet: safety and peace that comes from following their council in uncertain times.
26.2= Goals: driving forces that keep me moving (in more ways than one!)

Plans for Dad's Visit

Running on the Mt. Vernon trail is one of my favorite traditions after work. For about a 1/2 mile stretch, there are commercial jets that fly very close over head as they approach and depart the Reagan National Airport. I love it!

When Dad comes to visit me (hint-hint), I will take him to watch the airplanes so he can call out the model numbers by memory. Day and night, it's a sweet sight to enjoy. There are frequently individuals and families standing or sitting as they observe these incredible machines at work.

"Ghanaian Style"

Check out these colorful dresses that these women from Ghana wore to Stake Conference last month! Apparently they have a place where they can make custom-designed fabric... They came into the cultural hall wearing prophet's picture! Wow! My friend, Adam, loved them so much that he said it was "the highlight of stake conference" for him!

Math Zone

Math Night in the Math Zone! Though late in recording, this was such a fun event that the math department put on for the families and students at the school. From a "Pi" Walk to computer math games to guessing their teachers' and leaders' heights, parents and students engaged in fun with math! It was so much fun to meet the parents of many of my 7th graders and see them outside of the classroom! (Pictured: co-math-teachers from the 7th and 8th grade teams, minus a few- they are so much fun to work with!)

Guard and Reunion

Please say hello the local, "SQUIRREL E. GUARD" that is currently serving at his favorite post, in front of my car, which is in need of a wash when the rain ceases this week! These creatures are EVERYWHERE... I often wonder if they are going to attack me when I am walking from my car to my apartment. They have, fortunately, stayed to themselves thus far, although I'm not going to put it past them.
To complete a grand Saturday, I got to spend the latter part with two roommates from BYU that I lived with before the mission! Crystal and I went to the DC temple in Kensington, MD, followed by the adult session of our Stake Conference in Alexandria ,VA where we sat just less than 10 feet from Karen, another roommate from the same year at BYU! We discovered about a month ago, after each relocating to this area for different reasons, that we were all in the same Stake! What are the chances!? After a great meeting on missionary work, we went out for ice cream. I'm convinced that it's not just coincidence that we became close friends years ago, nor is it coincidence that Karen and James (her husband) and Crystal chose to live in this particular area. This is not the first time I have had enjoyed spending time with these friends out here, and it certainly is not the last. Miracles and tender mercies come so frequently.

"Dutch Bike Dutch" or Bust!

Two genius girls put together this tradition which was done for the 5th time this weekend... A group of 50 plus young adults met up near Lancaster, PA on Friday night, most coming from the DC area (some from other parts on the East Coast)...Many stayed the night in a local hotel while others toughed the cold night camping. Thankfully, I went with the hotel route and enjoyed a warm bed in preparation for some great cycling. Saturday morning we split up into numerous groups, some going 15, 20, and 30 miles, while a small handful of us chose the 60 miler. Randy, Travis, Courtney, Joy, Katie and I took off on the same route as most the others for about 10 miles before we split directions and the 6 of us adventured on some other roads to make for a longer ride.
The Amish country near Lancaster was beautiful! It was so refreshing to be out in the middle of open fields, surrounded by a people whose beliefs and culture is centered on simple basics. It was not uncommon to see locals on bikes, horses, in buggies, or on foot.

As our ride continued, we enjoyed more and more fields and plenty of trees covered in colorful leaves, a mark of a gorgeous Fall in the east. In time, we decided to split for various reasons, so Kim, Courtney and I continued the ride together, only to discover that we had been misled at a very important turning point, which resulted in climbing 4-6 miles of hills and adding approximately 10 miles to our ride.
(Left- Travis, Katie, Me and Courtney)

The last 30 miles was completed with Katie... a stalwart cyclist. Beautiful surroundings made the ride enjoyable in all. I hope to go back out there in the spring and/or summer to enjoy even more! What a blessing it is to have opportunities to explore other parts of this diverse country that we live in. We are so fortunate to have the freedoms we do the worship and exercise faith and agency as we desire.

Here are some pics that I took on my phone while on my bike... Enjoy, and let me know if you ever need a tour guide! :)

Don't Give Up the Ship

Columbus Day! To celebrate the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the American continent in October of 1492, Kim, Breanna and I explored some of the sites of old town Annapolis! The weather was perfect for stopping in some of the shops of old town Annapolis where it was apparent that crab is an entree that the town prides itself in... and Skeens, as you may know have a great appreciation for this kind of pride :) ... Christmas cannot come soon enough.

There was a big boat show going on while we walked the streets, so the straight was particularly crowded with ships sail boats of all sizes.
We went to the Naval Academy and enjoyed learning about the history of the academy and felt the pride that comes with the school's history of academic and national defense training traditions.


There are many strengths to the school including the atmosphere of focused study and training that works to help young students leave the school with greater abilities and confidence that benefit the country and world.
Situated on the Severn River that runs into Chesapeake Bay, the campus is surrounded by water and is nicely maintained.


Kim server her mission in Maryland and had memories of a preparation day at the Naval Academy. The sisters apparently tried to climb and take a picture on this Herndon monument. Her challenge to Bree and I to climb it drove us to prove ourselves (we weren't in skirts, so the task was much more simple).



Inside and outside many of the buildings on our walking tour were statues, pictures, and artifacts from various wars in which the US was involved. The size of these torpedoes from WWII was incredible!
One of the traditions at the schools happens daily at 12:05pm when all of the shipmates come running from all parts of campus to the courtyard outside the Bancroft Memorial Hall and line up for the lunch hour in their white uniforms. We were sadly disappointed as we waited by the courtyard only to realize that this would not happen on this particular day because of the holiday. Perhaps we'll have to return! It was a great town and one I would enjoy again... "Don't Give Up the Ship!" (James Lawerance, 1913).

Apples, anyone?

One of my favorite co-workers and Math department leader, Marci, told me about... APPLE PICKING in Virginia!!!
So, my friends, Adrienne and Simone, put together this amazing trip out to Stribling Farms in Makham, VA, on Saturday morning... Blue skies, sunshine, and rows of apple trees... It was fantastic. We first picked an "apple picker," which looked very similar to a lacrosse stick, a bag to collect our fruit in, and a map. Then, off we went to pick us some crunchy goodness... Tree #1 was loaded with red Stayman apples, which turned out to be the most delicious of them all. Among the other varieties that we picked were traditional red delicious, granny, golden delicious, and macintosh. While some were grand in size and firm for crispness, the flavor did not compare to Tree #1, hence it held as Tree#1 not only for being the first but the best tree we picked from.... So, you might gather that I am a wanna-be-apple-connoisseur. I'm not gonna lie- I love fruit! I have great plans for my apples... only time will tell. Stay posted!

Simplify

They love integers... Given the number sentence, -3-(-1)-(-2)+(-6)-(-3)-(-3), in what way could you simplify the sentence so that you are only dealing with 2 terms?

For the past three weeks, my students have been working to improve their understanding of positive and negative integers and how to figure their sums, differences, products and quotients. While this may appear to be an elementary task, many are convinced otherwise. One of my latest strategies in bringing integers to life is by modeling a hideously clashing outfit to my classes, consisting of a brightly colored lava-lava from the Kiribati islands with a fall-colored silk scarf around my neck.

With little to no hesitation, I had my seventh grade female fashion experts confirm to me that the outfit looked terrible.. Why? "Because you don't match at all!"
My response... "Exactly. And how what kind of effect would this have on me if I wore this around friends or into a job interview?" The response...an astounding Negative.

Precisely... Integers with mismatched signs (a positive integer multiplied or divided by a negative integer or visa versa) result in a negative product or quotient.

While students continue to develop a more deep understanding of operations based around integers, there is greater and greater need for remediation with individual students. Feeling quite inadequate to meet each of their needs, application of principles taught in General Conference last weekend have become a great source of strength. So, I will share a few highlights of the many that I feel apply in these situations...

• "Come what may, and love it..." (Elder Wirthlin) and "Opposition is necessary for the experience and progression that we are here for..." (Elder Cook) and "Make a 'COURAGEOUS DECISION'... to have an 'invincible summer' even in the middle of winter" (Pres. Uchtdorf).

Not every day will be roses; many will not. Keeping a sense of humor and seeking for an eternal perspective are two ways to still love the days and moments that are less rosy than others. Each day is filled with experience that we can choose to use as a building block or a brick on our shoulders. Why not build with it?

• Zion is a people and a place... Dis unification is the antithesis of Zion (D. Todd Christofferson)
  

Collaboration with others with the purpose of building one another, aiming for the same and "right" goal in mind is a powerful and enabling source of strength to all individual involved as well as those who are the recipients of the improved service and skills learned.

• Our evening prayers build upon and are a continuation of our morning prayers... (Elder Bednar)

Starting and ending the day in council with the Lord keeps perspective in order and helps to build a more lasting remembrance of who is the most valuable and true source of strength in all pursuits.

To remember the title of this post, "Simplify," I will end here. Simple.

Custis, W&OD or Four-Mile-Run?

That is the question... Kari and I went cycling between sessions on Saturday afternoon, with a determination to find the infamous W&OD (Washington and Old Dominion Trail). After swerving around walkers, runners, and fellow cyclists, we came to the end of the Mt. Vernon trail, making our way to the Custis. It was a great ride to that point.

After several miles, we found the W&OD and it was time to turn around to get back in time for the afternoon session. But no, we saw a sign for the other infamous Four-mile-run trail, which we knew connected to our desired ending point... Well, the trail was poorly planned... perhaps with the intent to get people lost, turned in circles or confused. Together, we managed to make the "right" turns with only one turn-around... Two-minds are better than one.

In short, if you'd like a bike tour of Northern VA, I am on my way to competancy... Hopefully the weather will stay nice and lend itself to more beautiful rides of greater distance before winter comes.

Running Tour

So, there I was... A beautiful morning before General Conference, staring out my window at the Pentagon. Then, to my great surprise, I soon found myself with my running shoes on, phone and keys in hand, running towards... the Pentagon. Having become slightly more familiar with the roads and where they lead in the area, I found myself some great sidewalks and bike paths to land myself at the Pentagon Memorial.
After learning about the symbolism of the memorial and solemnity of the memory, I continued on my way, towards my desired destination on the other side of the Potomac. Crossing Rosalyn Memorial Bridge, the Washington Monument and Capital Building were in near sight (you may choose to zoom into these photos).
Soon, I arrived at the Lincoln memorial...




























Moving onto my final destination for the day...

So, there I was... The Washington Monument
Happy to be running through the history of our nation...